>>> well, that's going to do it for us. >> thanks for joining us. "cnn newsroom" starts right now with kyra phillips. good morning. >> good morning here's what we're working on this morning. >> i thought equality was no non-negotiable. >> the call for action. is it enough to sway two republican senators on don't ask, don't tell? >>> the fda debates genetically altered salmon. could it be safe? a top food expert weighs in. >>> the president awards the highest military honor to this man that made the ultimate sacrifice for fellow comrades. you'll hear his story from the men that respect him most. i'm kyra phillips. you are live in "the cnn newsroom." >>> first, just learning now that a helicopter that crashed in afghan was carrying nine american troops. we don't have specifics as to what exactly happened but we're told that enemy fire has been ruled out as a possible cause. today's casualties make this year the deadliest so far for the war in afghanistan. more than 500 coalition troops have been killed. we're going to continue to monitor this story an